This Otago-based Jesus film was a disaster - now the sets are heading to landfill

A movie set that was going to be used for movies about Jesus is being torn down. Photo / Getty Images

Two biblical film sets which have sat unused in North Otago since 2008 are to be torn down and carted off to landfill.

The sets at Lake Benmore and Elephant Rocks near Duntroon were built for the failed production Kingdom Come, a film about the life of Jesus Christ which never got off the ground.

Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher described them as an "ongoing problem".

"The Falstone set [at Lake Benmore] is on council land and we have received some rental for the use of that land over the 5 years or so that it has been there," he said.

"However, it has been a bugbear for campers in the area who would otherwise have used the space it took up, and there were concerns also about the deterioration of the set," Mr Kircher said on Facebook.

That's A Wrap They've been there a while, but the movie sets for Kingdom Come are coming down, without the movie being...

Posted by Gary Kircher - Mayor for Waitaki on Wednesday, 10 August 2016

The film company had paid a bond which would cover the $250,000 bill to demolish the sets, which would involve separating timber from the polystyrene "rocks" and trucking it to the Timaru landfill.

"It's a real shame the movie never came about, and such a waste of time, effort and money, but I guess that is the movie industry for you.

"Thankfully, the bond covered this cost with a bit left over to cover the costs of council managing the process."

The Timaru Herald reported the film had a budget of $180 million and was due to be shot in 2009, before being abandoned over financial difficulties.